diff --git a/pysrc/juliacall/__init__.py b/pysrc/juliacall/__init__.py
index 33991fae..2f7ff5fa 100644
--- a/pysrc/juliacall/__init__.py
+++ b/pysrc/juliacall/__init__.py
@@ -269,8 +269,8 @@ def jlstr(x):
         return 'raw"' + x + '"'
     script = '''
     try
-        Base.require(Main, :CompilerSupportLibraries_jll)
-        global __PythonCall_libptr = Ptr{{Cvoid}}(UInt({}))
+        import CompilerSupportLibraries_jll as _
+        global __PythonCall_embedded__ = nothing
         ENV["JULIA_PYTHONCALL_EXE"] = {}
         using PythonCall
     catch err
@@ -280,7 +280,6 @@ def jlstr(x):
         rethrow()
     end
     '''.format(
-        hex(c.pythonapi._handle),
         jlstr(sys.executable or ''),
     )
     res = jl_eval(script.encode('utf8'))
diff --git a/src/C/context.jl b/src/C/context.jl
index 0a1c9eb6..e8eba368 100644
--- a/src/C/context.jl
+++ b/src/C/context.jl
@@ -103,13 +103,43 @@ Execute `f()` on the main thread.
 on_main_thread
 
 
+function find_lib_ptr()
+    # borrowed from PyCall.jl/src/startup.jl
+    @static if Sys.iswindows()
+        EnumProcessModules(hProcess, lphModule, cb, lpcbNeeded) =
+            ccall(:K32EnumProcessModules, stdcall, Bool,
+                (Ptr{Cvoid}, Ptr{Ptr{Cvoid}}, UInt32, Ptr{UInt32}),
+                hProcess, lphModule, cb, lpcbNeeded)
+
+        lpcbneeded = Ref{UInt32}()
+        proc_handle = ccall(:GetCurrentProcess, stdcall, Ptr{Cvoid}, ())
+        handles = Vector{Ptr{Cvoid}}(undef, 20)
+        if EnumProcessModules(proc_handle, handles, sizeof(handles), lpcbneeded) == 0
+            resize!(handles, div(lpcbneeded[],sizeof(Ptr{Cvoid})))
+            if EnumProcessModules(proc_handle, handles, sizeof(handles), lpcbneeded) == 0
+                error()
+            end
+        end
+        for handle in handles
+            if ccall(:GetProcAddress, stdcall, Ptr{Cvoid},
+                (Ptr{Cvoid}, Ptr{UInt8}), handle, "Py_GetVersion") != C_NULL
+                return handle
+            end
+        end
+        error("could not find libpython handle")
+    else
+        return unsafe_load(cglobal(:jl_exe_handle, Ptr{Cvoid}))
+    end
+end
+
+
 function init_context()
 
-    CTX.is_embedded = hasproperty(Base.Main, :__PythonCall_libptr)
+    CTX.is_embedded = hasproperty(Base.Main, :__PythonCall_embedded__)
 
     if CTX.is_embedded
         # In this case, getting a handle to libpython is easy
-        CTX.lib_ptr = Base.Main.__PythonCall_libptr::Ptr{Cvoid}
+        CTX.lib_ptr = find_lib_ptr()
         init_pointers()
         # Check Python is initialized
         Py_IsInitialized() == 0 && error("Python is not already initialized.")
diff --git a/src/C/pointers.jl b/src/C/pointers.jl
index 9644329f..4114f0a0 100644
--- a/src/C/pointers.jl
+++ b/src/C/pointers.jl
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ end
 
 const POINTERS = CAPIPointers()
 
-@eval init_pointers(p::CAPIPointers = POINTERS, lib::Ptr = CTX.lib_ptr) = begin
+@eval function init_pointers(p::CAPIPointers = POINTERS, lib::Ptr = CTX.lib_ptr)
     $([
         :(p.$name = dlsym(lib, $(QuoteNode(name))))
         for name in CAPI_FUNCS
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ const POINTERS = CAPIPointers()
     )
     $([:(p.$name = dlsym(lib, $(QuoteNode(name)))) for name in CAPI_OBJECTS]...)
     p.PyOS_InputHookPtr = dlsym(CTX.lib_ptr, :PyOS_InputHook)
+    nothing
 end
 
 for (name, (argtypes, rettype)) in CAPI_FUNC_SIGS